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Posts Tagged ‘Duvel’

Our first actual bar stop in San Francisco was a little hole in the wall place in which I can not remember the name… I can’t believe I didn’t add that fact into my notes but oh well. Our friend said they had a nice selection of beers and I’d probably find one to fit my fancy there. I was delighted to find several brews which I haven’t had the chance to try yet here on tap. The first one I dived into was the Duvel Green Label. For those of you who aren’t aware, Duvel classic goes through two fermentation cycles when being brewed. These two cycles take a total of 90 days. At the 30 day make the brew master and his staff taste the beer after the first fermentation and if deemed correct it moves along to the second fermentation. This is where the Green label come in. Instead of being sent off to have a second fermentation, the Green label is packed into kegs and shipped around the world. This beer, being only fermented once, has a lighter, crisper taste. As well as a lower alcohol percentage. Well these beers are made with the exactly same ingredients, they are also completely different.

The Green Duvel poured a light golden-yellow with three fingers of white fluffy head. The aroma reminded me of the classic Duvel just with less spices. Wafting with banana esters and sweet biscuit malts this Belgian well “young” is still tantalizing. The taste is dominated my the banana esters and cloves but it still remains crisp and clean. There is a bit of a surprising peppery kick in there too. In all honesty I’d love to have this again with the classic so I could have a side by side comparison on the taste and feel.

The “Devil” has come to join my beer blog. Duvel, which translates to “devil”, all started back in 1871 when the brewery was first founded. In 1900 the second generation sons expanded the brewery and had taken it as their mission to make a truly special beer. In 1918 they found, after much searching, a unique strain of yeast in Scotland. Yes, that’s right, Scotland. At this point the beer was dubbed “Victory Ale” after the finally of WWI. For the next five years they continue to search and experiment. In 1923 the final recipe is found and it became known as “The Real Duvel.” In 1958 Duvel begins to draw attention from outside Belgium. Now the 3rd generation then had taken it upon themselves to design an exclusive drinking glass to help trap in the carbonation. In the 2000’s the 4th generation has helped to make Duvel a reference for all specialty Belgium beers. Duvel is still brewed today with the same recipe from 1923 and yeast that still stems from the original culture from Scotland.

Appears crystal clear with an intense amount of bubbly carbonation. As you can well see there is a massive head pour on this beer that lingers and lingers. The head itself even has an intense scent and taste. The aroma is that of a decadent Belgium Blond with a wallop of a kick. To be a little more clear there is a freshness with a crispness that I find hard to describe. The taste is so refreshing it is unbelievable. Citrus over flows the taste buds at first then you can detect that unique Scottish yeast found oh so many years ago. There is a wonderful balance of hops, that pack a punch, but do not overpower the bitterness of the beer. This beer goes down so easily you’d never know it has 8.5% alcohol to it. If you’ve never tried this, or you’re not much of a beer drinker, go out and get one bottle of this. I think the non-beer drinkers will turn around and the ones that already drink it will find a new favorite at the top of the charts.

By the way, yes, I know this isn’t a Duvel glass. I do not currently own one and this Delirium glass was the closest glass to it we own.